Is a much kinder island for cycling. The roads are a bit less hilly than Shetland and the main ones not quite so busy.
Not that I’m going to do much exploring on my bike, mainly going from one campsite to another. I’ve got a friend also on holiday here with a car so as the weather is still wet, I’ll take advantage of having a chauffeur.
For starters, I’ve been here nearly two weeks and no one’s been murdered yet. How inaccurate is that TV drama?
Secondly, Shetland, despite what the Islands tourism industry is trying to push, is not an ideal place for cycling. It’s a beautiful place, the people are friendly and I will definitely return. Just not on my bike. I may bring a bike with me but for touring, nah.
Just travelled overnight on the ferry to Lerwick and was surprised to be the only cyclist. There were a few cars and campers with bikes on racks but I was the only one pushing a bike on. Compared to ferries in the Western Isles, at the same time last year, where there were dozens of bikes on every one.
I wonder why?
.. but it’s not the worst cycle storage on trains here in Scotland. I’m on the intercity from Glasgow to Aberdeen. At least the bike doesn’t need to be hung up by the rear wheel! Squeezing the handlebars through the narrow gap in the doors is a pain. It meant my panniers needed to come off even if the bike would have fitted in the space with them on.
With just a week before I take the ferry to Lerwick, I’m going to write a packing list. That way I may be able to work out, in advance, the best way to fit everything in.
It may mean packing and unpacking a few times before I get it right.
On the other hand I probably will still not be able to find anything and end up with the wrong pannier on the ferry.
UPDATE: I’ve packed everything apart from one or two last minute items, checked my list and now my panniers seem to have much more space left in them than on my last trip. So, have I forgotten something? Missed something from my list? Or maybe I’ve just left out non necessary things. I guess I’ll find out once I’m on my way.
On my multi-night camping trips last year I carried a couple of pre-packed meals with me for times when I couldn’t get to a shop to buy fresh provisions. I only used them twice. Once when I was, to be honest, just too lazy to cook anything else. They were OK as a stand-by and I guess gave me the nourishment I needed.
This time, with me going places I’ve never been before and unsure of the miles I’ll be able to cover in a day, I’m looking to do the same again and carry a couple of ready meals. I’m not sure which ones to buy. Previously I’ve carried wet meals which just need heating up but this time I’m considering getting dehydrated meals. The main advantage I can see is the weight saving as it comes down to a balancing act between edibility and how much extra weight I’m willing to carry. I guess I’ll buy a couple and try them out before I leave. I will let you know how this goes.
A couple of times I’ve thought about buying some kind of navigation device such as a Garmin or even using an app on my phone but always talked myself out of it. There are a few reasons why and here are the main ones.
Maybe I will change my mind or someone will convince me of the advantages of an electronic navigation device but until then, paper wins.
While planning my trip this summer I thought I had it all worked out and underway. I went on-line, booked my ferry places with berths and ticket for the train to Aberdeen as well as a cycle place reserved. That was all sorted and paid for so what could go wrong?
Well! I wanted to give myself a bit more time to check in for the ferry in Aberdeen so decided to change the time of the train to arrive in Aberdeen with more time to spare. I went on to the ScotRail web site to change the ticket to an earlier train. Turns out it’s not possible just to change the journey. You need to book another ticket and apply for a refund. OK, so that will cost £4. Then I went through the process of booking a new ticket. All my details were transferred to the new time and the refund process set in action. The confirmation came through but my bike place wasn’t reserved. It would appear that the cycle reservation is not carried forward. There’s also no option to add a cycle to an existing booking.
After some searching it looks as though the only solution is to actually go to the station and ask in person. Either that or to cancel my booking (with no refund) and to start the process all over again. I don’t know if ScotRail’s on-line system treats all their customers so poorly or maybe it’s just those who want to travel on trains with a bike!
… to this summer’s big bike ride.
I’ve booked the train and ferries to go to the Northern Isles at the end of June. As it’s only three and a bit weeks away I guess it’s not too early to start preparing and getting excited.
There were a couple of things I learned about my bike, from my last trip which I need to address. The handle bar set up still isn’t completely to my satisfaction. When I’m on the bull horns I feel that I’m over-reaching slightly. I’m considering swapping out the vecnum suspension stem for something smaller. The 90mm reach could be just too far. Although the suspension is nice it’s not really enough to want to make me continue with it at the expense of a comfortable position. I still have an adjustable stem which I could try out to see how that goes. That would also give me an option of a more upright riding stance.
I’m also still toying with the idea of making the bars slightly narrower. Ideally I would like them to be about 2cm narrower on either side. This would make the bars much less awkward when manoeuvering while pushing the bike and should not compromise the steering. I will look at some alternatives before commiting to cutting.
Another thing I realised is that my previous ortlieb handlebar bag was much handier than the one I replaced it with which does not have the transparent pocket on the lid. This was great for a map but also to store my phone. The map-case I used, which was designed to fit the bag is good as far as it goes but can be annoying as the clips can become detached when opening the lid. I’ll try to source a used bag but as it’s not such a great deal I don’t want to spend too much cash on it.
I also need to figure out a way of organising the way I pack my panniers. Unpacking in the rain and having to go through both bags to find something can be a pain. It also means when I re-pack I often get the balance wrong with one side being heavier than the other.
Finally, for now, I’m going to move my front light bracket from the front right fork to the left. I know that the right side is the one recommended (by law?) but the shadows cast by the rack would be less distracting and the left side of the road or track I’m riding better illuminated.
Just Me - On my bike 